Artsy Saturday

 My husband took Sophia out today and oh my, what a crafty day I had! I don't know about you, but sometimes getting started is the hardest part for me. I tried to trick me by telling myself I would only make some bias tape today ... it took a while, but it worked! I found some nice fabric and decided to try out a new project that could maybe go into my Etsy shop (the baby kimono, last picture), then a friend came by with some fabric for a bag, and while the fabric was in the washing machine I played around with a Poe-inspired art project. How very satisfying to create something and get to finish it, too! ;) 

crow art

baby kimono

summer day

 

Sophia and me had a long and full summer day today. We started early in the morning by driving to the last park of our treasure hunt and finding the clues among the dewy grass and wet slides. It was beautiful to be out at the beginning of the day - the sprinklers under the trees cast rainbows, we saw birds taking a bath in a big puddle and two little dogs being walked.

After we figured out the location of the treasure we drove there right away and found a box filled with fun items. Sophia picked out colorful barettes and we left a little journal that we had made for other treasure hunters to find.

When we stepped outside the sprinklers came on and Sophia kicked off her sandals and had a grand old time!

Afterwards we went to the library, had lunch, and went for a long walk around downtown, checking out the Dog Store and new shops we hadn't been to. And now it is bedtime, finally.

Hello Etsy!

I got my first items up in my brand new etsy shop! Come check it out - and let me know what you think! This is very exciting ... and almost as exciting as seeing my two favorite people run in today's race! ;)

Photoshooting at the playground

Yesterday we went to the park to get some exercise, find more clues for our treasure hunt, and take the first pictures of my kindergarten messenger bags that I am hoping to put on Etsy soon.

The treasure hunt leads you to twelve of our local parks where you have to look for certain items and answer questions like "Count the dinosaur ribs and subtract 2. What do you get?" It is fun and Sophia often writes down the answers herself. She got really got at spying objects, too ;)

Later she modeled some of the bags for me, but it was really sunny and we had quite the funny shadows ...

I have the feeling I still have ways to go!

Now I am trying to figure out Etsy and hopefully will have some items up for sale by the end of the week.

Plum Almond Scones?

Yes, please! Tart plums and sweet scone ... they were pure delight.

Find the recipe here: http://www.bakespace.com/recipes/detail/PLUM-ALMOND-SCONES/39300/

Making a mushroom yarn holder

 We finally finished my mushroom project today! Here is how we went about it:

First I drew the outline of my mushroom on freezer paper (any paper would work, but it was within reach). My husband bought some wood at Home Depot and had a friend cut out the body. Sophia and me sanded it and she got to paint it with watered down acrylic paint.

 

Today I went back to Home Depot with a sample yarn and ended up getting four dowels and a little saw, since everything else would have been too short. At home I cut the dowels into 48 pieces measuring 2 1/4'' and we sanded the ends - whew!

Sophia rolled the dowel pieces in red paint while I drilled 1/4'' holes (I had put my yarn on the mushroom before and marked it).

  

 

Now I put a drop of wood glue in each hole and hammered in the dowel pieces.

  

Finally Sophia painted the tips white and I drilled it into the wall.

  

 

Turned out pretty nice, what do you think?